Charge forming apparatus



June 10, 1941. FLORCYK 2,244,681

CHARGE FORMING APPARATUS Filed April 8, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 WMM AHur-ney-s June 10, 1941. I E. M. FLORCYK 2,244,681

CHARGE FORMING APPARATUS Filed April 8, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y Inveni or June 10, 1941. E. M. FLORCYK CHARGE FORMING APPARATUS Filed April 8, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 10, 1941. E. M. FLORCYK CHARGE FORMING APPARATUS '4 Sheet-Sheet 4 Filed April 8, 1940 Invenl'mr Edwurd M Flcmgyk 9 g /azmz AHmrngas Patented June 10, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,244,681 CHARGE FORMING APPARATUS Edward M. Florcyk, Rockaway, N. J.

Application April 8, 1940, Serial No. 328,593 7 Claims. (01. 221 9s) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 3'70 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a charge forming apparatus.

In loading containers with fluent material the method of weighing individual charges in order to secure uniformity and accuracy is too slow for quantity production. The purpose of this invention is to provide a volumetric measuring and charge forming apparatus which will possess a high degree of accuracy and be capable of rapid operation.

While the general idea of tilting a container to measure a charge of predetermined bulk has been known in the art and has been used in connection with granular and fluid materials, the present invention relates to an organization and arrangement of elements which facilitates operation and which is particularly advantageous in loading explosives.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional view of the improved charge forming apparatus, the loading tray being shown in side elevation.

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views on the corresponding lines of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detail sectional views showing various positions of the tray.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on the line 1-1 of Fig. 3, parts being omitted.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a portion of the gate with parts removed.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of one of the scoops.

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the member carrying the cups which are to be loaded.

Fig. 13 is a sectional view illustrating a modification.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference there is shown a housing which constitutes a barrier and comprises a bottom plate 5, side plates 6-6, front plate I, cover plate 8. Frame elements 99 within the housing are each formed with a. crank arm l0 (Figs. 2 and 3) which is fixed to a shaft ll journaled in a side plate. A crank handle l2 fixed on one of the shafts serves for rocking the frame through a small angular distance as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

-A tray l3 removably carried by the frame elements 99 by meansof a tongue and groove connection I4 and spring latches Iii-4'5 is provided with a plurality of compartments l6 adapted to contain a powdered or granular material A which is fluent. The floor I! of each compart ment is provided near its front end with an outlet IB. A scoop I9 is provided for each opening and is secured to the floor I! by means of a screw 20. The scoop is formed with a three sided measuring chamber 2| which is adapted to be in alignment with'the outlet I8. A cut-off or gate 22 extending across all of the scoops has a plurality of inserts 23, one being provided for each scoop and adapted to close the open side or outlet of the chamber. The inserts (Fig. 10) are mounted between spaced blocks 24 which are positioned on the front side of the gate and each block serves as an anchor for threadedly receiving a supporting and guide rod 25 which is slidably mounted in a bar 26 secured to the under side of the bottom plate by screws 21. A helical spring 28 embracing each rod and confined between the bar and a locking nut 29 serves to normally close the gate against the scoops to block the outlet of the measuring chambers 2|.

The mechanism for opening the gate'comprises a plurality of push rods 30, one being provided for engaging each one of the intermediate blocks 24. The push rods are all slidable in a cylindrical member 3| which is mounted by means of trunnions 3232 in the side brackets 3333 of a funnel plate 34. The funnel plate has a plurality of tapered openings 35 each positioned below a scoop, and it is secured to the inner side of the front plate by screws 36.

The member 3| closes an opening 31 in the front plate and an opening 38 in the funnel plate. An adjusting bracket 39 on each end of the member 3| and fixed thereto carries a bolt 40 which rides in a slot 4| in the bracket 33 and is clamped to the bracket 33 by means of a nut 42.

Each push rod 30 is provided on its outer end with a yoke 43 carrying a transverse pin 44. An actuator bar 45 journaled in the side plates 6-6 of the housing and disposed exteriorly of the front plate I, carries a plurality of fingers 46, each of which is positioned within a yoke 43 and has a slot 41 for receiving the pin 44. A handle 48 is fixed on the bar 45 to provide for manually rocking it to simultaneously act on all of the push rods and open the gate. The return of the push rods and bar is accomplished through closing of the gate by the springs 28.

Containers or cups 49 which are to receive granular material A are carried in a bar which is insertable through an opening 5! in one of the side plates 6. The cups are spaced to be aligned with the openings 35 in the funnel plate.

The operation of the apparatus is illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. In Fig. 4 the tray is inclined downwardly with respect to the housing to cause the powdered or granular material to be moved to the rear ends of the compartments 16 away from the outlets I8. The gate 22 is'held in closed position by the springs 23.

The crank handle H2 is now actuated to alevate the tray (Fig. 5) until it is inclined upwardly with respect to the housing to cause the material A to flow to the front ends of the compartments l6. Some of the material A will now enter the measuring chamber 2! of a scoop I9; Slight rocking or tapping of the crank handle will insure uniform charging of the material in the scoops. 1

On lowering the. tray to the position shown in Fig. 6 the material flows to the rear end of the compartments except for that quantity which is contained in the chambers 28 and outlets l8. The handle 48 on the bar is now actuated to depress the push rods 3.6 and open the gate 22.

The measured quantity or predetermined bulk of material in the scoops now flows out, the quantity in each scoop falling through the aligned opening 35 in the funnel plate 34 and into one of the cups as. When the flow of material from the scoops has ceased the pressure on the push rods is released and the gate is closed by its springs. The cycle may now be repeated.

In the modification shown in Fig. 13 the tray 52 is arranged to be rocked about a pivot 53 which is disposed some distance above the tray. The push rods 54 for opening the gate 55 are mounted in tubular guides 56 fixed in the barrier plate 51. a

I claim:

1. In a charge forming apparatus, a support, a container for fluent material trunnioned in the support and having a floor with an outlet adjacent one end, a member carried by the under side of the floor of the container and having a measuring chamber in communication with the outlet, said chamber having an outlet, a closure for the outlet of the chamber, means for moving the closure from the outlet, and means for rocking the container to shift the contents thereof towards and away from the outlet therein.

2. In a charge forming apparatus, a support, a container for fluent material pivotally mounted in the support and having a measuring chamber with an outlet, a closure for the outlet, resilient means for normally maintaining the closure in position to close the outlet, means carried by the support for moving the closure to open position, and means for rocking the container towards and away from the closure opening means to shift the contents of the container towards and away from the measuring chamber.

3. In a charge forming apparatus, a container for fluent material and having a floor with an outlet, a member fixed to the under side of the floor of the container and having a measuring chamber with an open side in alignment with the outlet in the floor, means for closing the open side of the measuring chamber, means for moving the closure, and means for rocking the container to shift the contents thereof towards and away from the outlet in the fioor.

4. In a charge forming apparatus, a tray having a plurality of compartments for fluent material, each compartment having an outlet adjacent one end, a plurality of spaced members each fixed to the outer side of a compartment and having a measuring chamber in communication with the outlet of said compartment, each measuring chamber having an outlet. a gate common to all of the outlets of the measuring chambers, a plurality of push rods extending singly between the spaced members and engageable with the gate, and means for rocking the tray to shift the contents thereof towards and away from the outlets of the compartments.

5. In a charge forming apparatus, a support, a tray trunnioned in the support and having a plurality of compartments for fluent material, each compartment having a measuring chamber with an outlet, a gate carried by the tray and common to all of the outlets of the compartments, means carried by the support for opening the gate, and means for rocking the tray to shift the contents thereof towards and away from the measuring chambers.

6. In a charge forming apparatus, a support having an opening, a plate having an opening in line with the opening in the support and having a plurality of spaced tapered pour openings, a cylindrical member closing the opening in the plate and trunnioned in said plate, means for adjusting the angular position of said member, push rods slidable in said member, a tray trunnioned in the support and having a plurality of compartments for fluent material, each compartment having a measuring chamber with an outlet, a gate carried by the tray and common to all of the outlets, said gate operable by the push rods, and means for rocking the tray to shift the contents thereof towards and away from the measuring chamber.

7. In a charge forming apparatus, a support, a tray trunnioned in the support and having a plurality of compartments for fluent material, each compartment having a measuring chamber with an outlet, a gate carried by the tray and common to all of the outlets, a member trunnioned in the support, means for holding said member in position of angular adjustment, push rods slidably carried by said member and operable to open the gate, and means for rocking the tray to shift the contents thereof towards and away from the measuring chambers.

EDWARD M. FLORCYK. 

